Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil By V. E. Schwab Book Review
Following centuries of hunger, rage, and queer desire through the eyes of vampires who don’t just sparkle or brood but burn with fierce, complicated emotions, that’s exactly what V.E. Schwab delivers in Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. It’s a haunting, genre-blending novel that’s part gothic horror, part feminist critique, and all about the messy, painful power of longing.
The story spans over 500 years, following three sapphic vampires: María in 16th-century Spain, Charlotte in 19th-century London, and Alice in modern-day Boston. Each woman struggles with her own kind of hunger, whether it’s for love, freedom, control, or revenge, and Schwab uses their immortal lives to show how desire can both empower and destroy, especially in a world stacked against women who dare to want too much. The tone is moody and lyrical, filled with rich descriptions of place and time, slow-building tension, and a dark, poetic beauty that stays with you long after you finish.
What makes Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil stand out is how Schwab mixes horror thriller elements with deep character drama, especially focusing on queer identities and toxic relationships that feel raw and real, not romanticized. The book isn’t about tidy resolutions or comforting endings; it’s about the pain and rage of women trapped by patriarchy who turn into predators themselves just to survive. Schwab’s prose is rich, lyrical, and often poetic, something many readers love for its immersive, atmospheric feel, though some find it a bit indulgent or slow at times. The multi-timeline, multiple points of view create a kind of ritualistic, almost hypnotic pace where the sense of inevitable tragedy is both captivating and a little tiring.
Readers have been blown away by the emotional depth and complex moral grayness of the characters, and the audiobook narration has been especially praised for its powerful performances. People describe the novel like a “fever dream,” full of toxic, passionate relationships that are as intoxicating as they are destructive. Many appreciate the gothic vibe, the crumbling estates, blood-soaked mirrors, and that feeling that beauty and decay exist side by side in every scene. But some have been frustrated by the slow pacing and loose plot, especially in the modern timeline with Alice, who some found harder to connect with. The ending splits opinion, with some calling it a haunting, perfect crescendo, while others see it as an abrupt, unsatisfying close.
From my point of view, if you like character-driven stories where mood and metaphor matter as much as plot, and you’re drawn to dark, queer tales that don’t shy away from the messy, toxic sides of love and power, this book will grab you. But if you prefer fast-paced, tightly plotted reads or clear heroes and villains, it might feel frustrating or like the prose overwhelms the story. Schwab’s vampires aren’t your usual romantic fantasy, they’re raw, dangerous, and deeply flawed, and the story asks you to sit with the discomfort that comes with desire that can never be fully satisfied.
So if you want a richly gothic, emotionally complex vampire story full of raw female rage, haunting beauty, and queer obsession, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil could be your next obsession. It’s one of those books that won’t let you go easily, even if it doesn’t love you back the way you expect.
If that sounds like your kind of story, definitely check it out. And if you’ve already read it, let me know what you thought!